


bandages & bows

by strawberryfire



Series: Harringrove: A Hallmark Special [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Near Death Experiences, monster hunting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21584284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryfire/pseuds/strawberryfire
Summary: Steve gets hurt in a fight and Billy doesn't know how to cope.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Steve Harrington, Robin Buckley/Carol, Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Series: Harringrove: A Hallmark Special [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1549951
Comments: 1
Kudos: 46





	bandages & bows

Another day, another fight.

Another day of Billy watching a fire burn in Steve’s eyes so hot it’s blue, his white knuckles gripping a blood-stained bat, his feet digging into the ground. 

This time it’s all the teens, with Carol holding onto a can of Farrah Fawcett spray and a lighter, Tommy swinging around a crowbar and Robin with her bow & arrow; black goo on all their faces. Nancy and Jonathan were anxiously sitting in the car with worried kids, waiting and watching. 

Billy slits the throat of a dog with his knife, tightly closing his mouth so whatever the fuck the gross substance is doesn’t end up in his throat. He can hear Steve yelling, like he always does, before the squeal of a monster as it gets flung across the woods and _smacked_ against a tree. 

Robin runs up to Billy, pain swimming in her eyes as blood gushes from her cheek, “I-I‘ve run out of arrows.” She’s out of breath and her hands are shaking; Billy’s _never_ seen her so scared. 

He quickly pulls his bandana out of his pocket and holds it up to her face, “Jesus, Robs what happened?” 

She winces and hisses at the sting, “A dog scratched me, you dingus.” 

Billy looks around every second, making sure nothing was coming to attack them, “Right, right. Sorry.” 

Then, a scream of pain and the sound of a head hitting against a tree. 

“ _Billy_!” Steve screams so loud it echos. 

Everything in Billy turns to anger as he runs towards Steve and stabs the fuck out of the demodog until it’s bleeding out dead. 

His boy, _his_ pretty boy, was up against the tree and clutching his side. The others run up to him and Billy doesn’t know what to do, he’s shaking way too much.

Steve’s eyes are hazed and there’s blood dripping from his mouth. His pastel polo is completely soaked and the left sleeve of his Members Only jacket has been ripped off. Billy can see very easily it’s bad. It’s really, _really_ , really bad. Fuck, it’s like fucking _July_ with the roles reversed.

“Oh God, Stevie, I swear to fuckin’ _God_ , keep your goddamn eyes _open_ you hear me?” He says trying so desperately to keep his cool as he tears off his own shirt, holding it against Steve’s side and he yelps in pain like he got shot, “I’m sorry baby, I know it hurts. Breathe for me, baby, _please_.”

Billy feels the back of Steve’s head, then moves his hand away and his fingers are covered in blood now too, meaning Steve’s head was injured too. 

Billy cups Steve’s face, “Baby, _baby_ , keep your eyes open,” He begs, trying to calm the bleeding before he tried to pick Steve up. 

Steve keeps drifting in and out of reality, slipping between Billy’s blood-covered touch and the darkness of his mind. He hears other voices, but his ears are only registering Billy’s sobbing pleas. Every breath is like salt on an empty wound and his eyes feel so heavy, _so_ fucking heavy. He wants to focus on Billy’s face, wants to stay awake but he can’t, he _can’t_ , no matter how hard he tries to. 

Steve feels himself being picked up and it hurts, it fucking courses through his veins like _whiskey_ and he _screams_ bloody murder, gripping onto what he assumed was Billy’s jacket. 

“Breathe, dingus, _breathe_.” Steve hears Robin’s teared filled voice, “ _Don’t_ you fucking die on us.” 

He feels hot tears from above him dropping on his neck and cheeks, feels his whole body _screaming_ as Billy carries him and hears the crying of many people. 

Billy crawls into the car, yelling for Nancy to fucking _**drive**_. He hears Dustin say something—Steve’s pretty sure Dustin’s crying too. 

Then he can’t see, he can’t see Billy’s face anymore.

“Billy?” He whispers. 

“Stevie, I’m right here,” He chokes out, “Please keep your eyes open, please.” 

“I can’t see you.” He tries to say but it comes out gravely and too quiet. 

“Jesus, please Stevie stay awake…drive fucking _faster_!” 

Billy won’t admit he’s praying to a God who normally never listens, won’t admit he is fucking terrified out of his goddamn _mind_ because his baby, _his_ pretty boy is dying in his arms and his breathing is slowing; he’s gonna lose his baby _right_ _here_. 

“Billy…” Steve raises a shaky hand to his Malibu angel, “I love you, Billy.”

“Oh fuck you, fuck you, Steve.” Billy chokes out.

Steve starts to feel it; his breath is running out and his vision is completely gone. His hand falls back into his lap and he just wants to hear Billy say it. He wants Billy to say I love you back, he wants that to be the last thing he hears. 

Robin sobbing.

Dustin _screaming_ his name. 

Tommy crying.

Hopper yelling something.

Nurses and doctors saying things.

Not a single world from Billy.   
—  
Day one. 

The doctors say Steve’s in a coma. He’ll need major surgery; something to do with his pelvis being broken, along with a severe loss of blood, nerve damage and a severe concussion. 

Steve was hooked up to at least five different tubes helping him breathe, including a big scary ventilator that looked like something from Alien. 

He lay there, pale and motionless. His pretty eyes closed, lip still cut. A scar on his right eye from the Russians. 

Robin sits beside Billy and Tommy with stitches on her cheek. Tommy has bloodied knuckles that are shaky and he keeps messing with the cuff of his jacket. Billy is silent. Silently staring, watching his pretty boy’s chest rise slowly up and down. The beeping and whining of the million machines keeping Steve alive ring in Billy’s ears. 

El, Will, and Max walk in. They immediately go to Billy’s side, sitting on the other side of him. El puts her hand on Steve’s head and closes her eyes. 

“I can’t really see anything, but he’s not in pain.” She whispers.

Billy is still stiff, but he nods, acknowledging El’s attempt of reassurance.

El moves so that she’s sitting on the floor in front of Billy, leaning back against his leg. She takes Billy’s hand and holds it tight. He squeezes and rests his head on Max’s shoulder. 

They all sit there, quiet. 

Tommy puts his head in his hands and mumbles, “Goddamnit.” 

“Do…do his parents know?” Will asks softly.

Robin nods, “Yeah, I think Hopper called and told them. It’s December though so…they’re probably stuck in Chicago.” 

Max looks up at her brother and wraps her arm around his. She’s searching for something, but Billy’s expression is blank as he stares at Steve. 

Will is rubbing Billy’s back gently and watching Steve too. El plays with Billy’s rings and hums softly, which does calm Billy down. Oddly, his two girls and Will always calmed him down.

Robin smiles a little and says softly, “You got kids that love you, Billy.”

Billy cracks a tiny smile too and nods again.   
Tommy lifts his head up and Billy can see he’s trying not to cry. He reaches out his free hand and holds Tommy’s hand. He looks at the blonde with sad eyes. 

“I know he means a lot to you, Tommy.” Billy whispers, “We can both give a little love to him, don’t ya think?” 

Tommy nods slightly. 

Hopper peaks his head in, Joyce behind him.  
“Doin alright, kids?” He asks, mostly looking at El. 

Robin nods, “We’re okay.” 

Hopper nods back, “Will, El, gotta get home.” 

They both whine and El pouts, “I don’t wanna leave Billy.”

“He’ll be okay, honey. We’ll see him first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

El and Will both hug Billy tight then El sets her hand on Steve’s forehead again and frowns without saying anything. She didn’t really need to. She looks at Billy then down at her feet before leaving with Will. 

Max is asleep on Billy’s shoulder as Dr. Owens walks in to do his hourly checkup on Steve. It was the same as the hour before. 

“You can stay the night, Billy.” Owens says, answering the question Billy was leaving unasked.

“Thank you, sir.” He whispers. 

Owens nods and leaves the room without another word. 

Max holds onto Billy like it’s all that matters. 

Tommy stands beside Steve, rubbing his thumb on Steve’s pale hand before shakily sighing and walking out. 

“Maxie, you got school tomorrow,” Billy says, ruffling her hair. 

She mumbles, “Don’t wanna leave you alone.” 

“I’ll be okay, little shit. Let Robin take you home, okay?”

Max looks up at him again, “Love you.” She then gives him a tight hug and it warms a bit of Billy’s cold heart. 

“Love you too, mad Max.” 

Robin gives Billy a hug too and leaves as well.  
Now it’s just Billy, his boy and the monotone beeps of the machines. 

Billy takes hold of Steve’s hand and clears his throat, “Well, today um…today we didn’t do much. Max, El, Will, Robin, and Tommy were here. Robin was completely hiding how much she’s hurting. She was sobbing all last night, Carol had to hold her for hours. To be fair…we were all sobbing. You’re a fucking idiot, Harrington. You coulda died. I thought you did. And you fucking little dramatic brat…saying I love you like it was the last thing you’d ever say.”

Beep. Beep. Beep. 

“I can’t fucking live without you, Harrington.” 

The low light is soul-sucking. The night outside is dark and deadly. Billy traces the wires glued to Steve’s chest then up to his cheek. The smell of antiseptic is strong in Billy’s nose and he’s still got blood on his shirt. A TV plays M.A.S.H quietly in the corner and Billy looks at the peeling wallpaper on the edges of the wall. 

“This must be what July was like, huh? Jesus…guess I understand now.”

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Billy yet again closes his eyes and prays to the big man in the sky who never listens, but Billy pleads, pleads like he did the day his mother left, in a way that brings him to tears. 

Billy just pretends this isn’t real. 

He leans forward and rests his head beside Steve’s legs, trying to imagine they were laying on the beach in Malibu.   
—  
Day two, three, four and five go by just the same. Billy never leaves Steve's side, since Dr. Owens feels too bad and isn't making Billy leave. 

Tommy comes on day two in the morning and tells Billy that Steve is his best friend and was his first crush; first kiss too. Billy feels jealously stinging in the back of his throat but he ignores it because he knows what it's like to hurt, to have a heartache that makes you sick. 

The third and fourth day Robin comes right after soccer practice. They both laugh about Mrs. Click's class and how much of an idiot Steve was. She talked about the damn bagel and damn Tammy Thompson. They talk about Barb Holland and Heather Holloway; how much they missed them. Billy tells Robin about the guilt that constantly sits in his system, that runs through his veins like blood and how he's gotten used to it. That Steve has his own mistakes, his own guilt that lives in his room at home and they cry about that liability together a lot. Billy talks a lot, actually, but Robin listens to every single world and tells him that he's allowed to feel.

Billy says he doesn't feel anything, not since July and that he thinks it's a superpower. He likes never feeling.

Day five and Steve almost wakes up. Owens is able to take Steve off two of the machines and he can breathe with only the tubes in his nose. Day five is when they give him surgery and Owens says it’ll just add on to Steve’s coma, that the medicine they gave him only sedated him more.

There are still wires tracing up and down his body like the vines of the Upside Down.

He talks to Steve for hours.

"I hate to make this about me, baby...I know I shouldn't be moping about all that shit in July but it's just...I know how you feel now and plus...who am I supposed to talk to? What am I gonna fucking do if you...if I don't have you, Stevie? I never fuckin’ got it, why you cried my name the day I woke up but…I get it now. Our lives won’t go back to normal if they ever were in the first place. I just need you to stay alive, baby…please.” 

Billy cries until Robin shows up and holds him to her chest, even if she's trying to not cry, too.

Day _ **twenty fucking five.**_

“Wake up, baby _please_.” Are words that Billy repeats over and over like a mantra, like a prayer; but it never works. 

Billy had cried himself to sleep like he always did and when he opens his eyes at around noon to snow falling outside the depressing walls he had memorized by heart, Steve is sat up in bed watching the TV. 

Every bit of stress that was weighing down on Billy's shoulders disappears when he sees Steve's doe eyes move over to Billy’s face.

"Baby..."

A smile spreads across his tired face, "Hi there Malibu. Thought you'd never wake up…Owens said it’s been 25 days, that you haven’t left.”

"Of course, baby, I can't leave you." Billy realizes how mushy he sounds, so he sits up and crosses his arms, "Wouldn't do that to ya."

"You were worried, don't hide it."

"Fuckin' course I was worried, Harrington."

Steve raises his eyebrow, "We're back to last names now?"

"Don't be a jackass. I _died_ for you."

"And I got _bit_ for you, what's your point?"

Billy doesn't reply, he just watches the snow outside. Thing is, he was _terrified_ because it was December now and since July, he hadn't felt a goddamn thing. Yet here he was, feeling a million things at once all too quickly and it's all too much.

His mind wanders back to that night, to Steve's weak and almost pleading confession of three simple words. 

He said those three words like it was a _religion_ , it was what he lived by. And that was one thing that was true; Steve lived for loving Billy. 

"I'm glad I got bit for you," Steve says, snapping Billy out of his thoughts, "I feel like fucking shit, _seriously_ , every bone in my body _aches_. But, I would do it again and again and _again_ if it meant you were safe."

Billy huffs and crosses his arms tighter across his chest, "Gee, thanks."

"I knew what I said. I didn't regret it, I meant it."

Billy plays dumb and looks at Steve confused because he wants to hear it again. He wants Steve to whisper it in his ear every single second of every single day--he wants it to be _their_ religion, "What do you mean?"

"I love you, idiot."

Billy blinks and stares at Steve, transfixed by his doe eyes and the softness of his beautiful face.

"Loved you yesterday, love you today, love you tomorrow. Love you _always_."

Billy uncrosses his arms and cups Steve's face, kissing him with as much meaning as he could. It's gentle, it's heavenly. 

Steve winces when he tries to move closer and Billy mumbles into his baby's lips, "You're okay, baby, y'know that right?"

Steve nods and mumbles back, "I'm always okay if I'm with you, malibu."

He kisses Steve, again and again, each one so soft it's making Billy feel like the Grinch when his heart just keeps growing so much it feels like it'll explode.

Billy pulls away and looks into the eyes of his baby, his pretty boy, "I love you too."

Steve smiles in a way Billy's never seen before, "Good, 'cause you're never gettin' rid of me, Hargrove."

\---

The next day, Owens lets Steve go, on the strict condition of no monster hunting until January and he's gotta take pain meds every four hours. Steve, of course, whines like a baby and begs Owens to just please let Steve go on the hunts to sit in the car and Owens replied with a firm hell no.

Overnight the snow hadn't stopped and Steve almost slips as he walks out of the hospital, which he insisted he could walk on his own (he couldn't). He’s wincing with every step, even with the crutches. 

Robin facepalms in the driver's seat of her Pontiac, "Jesus, you're a piece of work Harrington. How the hell do you put up with him, Billy?"

Steve is giggling happily when Christmas music comes on the radio and he grins when Billy looks over at him.

"Good damn question."

"You love me, you said so."

Robin gasps dramatically, "He said the L word?"

"Yep!" Steve is still beaming even through the nauseating pain he’s in and it makes Billy smile too.

\---

"Nope, little more to the left!" Steve is standing outside, in the snow, bundled up in a sweater and Billy's jacket as he leans against crutches.

Dustin groans loudly in frustration, "My fuckin' arms hurt!"

"Watch your language! And, hey, if ya got it right the first time, your arms wouldn't be hurting!"

Dustin huffs and finally puts the last damned wreath in the right place then climbs down from the ladder.

El stands beside Billy and Robin in the doorway, sipping on her hot cocoa.

"Looks nice." She says softly, looking around at the wreaths, garland, and lights adorning the outside of the house.

Billy puts his arm around her and smiles, "Doesn't it?" 

Inside, the kids are decorating the tree which had taken about three torturous hours to pick out at Burt's tree farm outside of town.

Tommy's keeping the cocoa mugs full, Nancy's cooking some really good smelling soup, Jonathan's taking pictures despite the remarks from Mike to leave them alone and Carol is in charge of the music which Billy didn't hate all that much.

Steve limps over, hiding how he wants to cry from the aching, with rosy cheeks and snowflakes on his eyelashes.

Billy leans over and kisses his nose, completely forgetting Dustin and El were there, "You're freezin', baby."

Steve scrunches up his nose and smiles, "Worth it though cause that means I'll get the best cuddles from you, malibu."

Dustin shouts, "I _knew_ it! Lucas, I _knew_ it!" He runs by Billy, "You owe me $10!"

"What are you talkin' about?" Lucas shouts back.

"They're dating, I told you!"

"Oh come on!"

El looks at Max confused while the boys bicker with each other. Robin and Tommy bust out laughing. Steve just looks embarrassed as Billy helps Steve to the couch by the fire

"I like the nicknames." El says as soon as the laughter dies down.

"Whatcha mean, Ellie?" Billy asks, putting a present bow on her head.

"Baby and malibu, that's cute." She smiles. Mike, Dustin and Lucas groan.

Steve's cheeks are still bright red and he buries his face in Billy's neck. 

Billy chuckles, "Thank you, they were his ideas."

"Were not," Steve mumbles sheepishly. 

The night goes on and it's like a damn Christmas movie. Steve stays huddled up to Billy the entire night, the kids keep going on and on about the gifts they're hoping to get, telling El all about Santa and Robin finally makes her damn move on Carol. Of course, it had to be a kiss on the cheek underneath the mistletoe Tommy had secretly planted, but hey, it was something.

Billy catches Steve looking out at the pool in his backyard and Billy kisses the top of Steve's hand, "Hey, you alright baby?"

Steve nods, "More than alright."

"Did ya take your meds?"

Steve rolls his eyes with a smile, "From the oh holy orange bottles? Yes, mom, I did."

"Good." Billy smiles back and kisses him, "I love you, baby."

Steve kisses back and grins, "I love you too, malibu."

"Ugh, you guys are disgusting." Mike grunts.

"You're just jealous." Max giggles.

Mike's face turns beat red and he melts back into the La-Z-Boy and mumbles, "Am not."

Will gets up and makes his way over to the kitchen to get more apple cider and unknowingly (that's a lie, he knew) stands where the misletoe was. Billy grins and gives him a thumbs-up, to which Will blushes and smiles back.

Mike, who is the one who is actually clueless, follows, "Can I have some?"

"Sure, but ya gotta pay."

Mike leans down a bit like he always does when talking to Will and looks confused, "What?" 

Will points up at the green holly and smiles, "Gotta get a kiss, Wheeler."

Mike's ears turn bright red then he smiles to himself then leans down and kisses Will straight on the lips.

Billy whispers, "Fucking superb, little Byers."

Steve giggles softly, "We’ve taught them well, malibu.”

Billy laughs, "Yes we have, baby.”  



End file.
